Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has banned Dabur India products for using “100 percent” claims. As per the food regulator, such labelling goes against the law and accounts for false advertising.
In a post on Monday, FSSAI said it has issued a prohibition order to Dabur India Ltd over the sales of food products carrying misleading ‘100 per cent’ claims. These claims include ‘100% Natural’, ‘100% Pure’, ‘100% Purity Guaranteed’, ‘100% Organic’, and more.
Which Dabur products have been banned? Full list
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
- Virgin coconut oil
- Sesame oil
- Cow ghee
- Coconut water
- Coconut milk
What FSSAI said
As per the food regulator, Dabur India’s “100 per cent claims” were in violation of the FSS (Advertising & Claims) Regulations, 2018.
Citing instances, FSSAI stated that product Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk was marketed with the claim “100 per cent Purity”.
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The statement added that Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey were found displaying the Jaivik Bharat Logo, without any valid FSSAI endorsement.
The food regulator added that this action comes after no action was taken by Dabur India during the previous notices sent to the company.
In a statement, Dabur stated they are in the process of checking the content on its products and those flagged by FSSAI.
FSSAI’s recent crackdown
Along with Dabur India, the food safety regulator has barred the sale of some popular whiskies and rum made by Diageo’s India unit and Inbrew Beverages for using artificial flavouring instead of proper ageing and ingredients to achieve their taste and aroma.
The FSSAI said it has ordered a ban on sales from Diageo’s Indian subsidiary, including popular brands such as Antiquity Blue Whisky and Royal Challenge Whisky, made in Madhya Pradesh state, and McDowell’s No 1 Rum made in western Maharashtra.
The food regulator added that this decision comes after tests found the products were “sub-standard due to the presence of external artificial or nature identical flavours in the product.”
FSSAI has also suspended the licence of Tripura-based Matri Drinking Water due to “presence of foreign materials in packaged drinking water.
A prohibition order to Punjab-based Noble Healthcare for food safety law violations was also issued.
“The product contains ingredients not permitted under the applicable regulations. Further, the Vitamin C content (90 mg) appears to exceed the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) prescribed under the ICMR-NIN Guidelines, 2020,” the regulator said.
(With inputs from PTI)
